let’s see what the night can do
by barchies
Summary: At Cheryl’s Halloween party, Archie and Betty bond overcome their silly fears to forget their recent break-ups with Veronica and Jughead.


**_"What's your greatest fear?"_** The question falls from Betty's lips, as she pours herself another glass of red wine. It's the classiest drink at Cheryl's mediocre Halloween party.

She didn't mean to get so intimate with Archie. But now they're throwing question after question around, bored out of their minds.

Betty already knows Archie's simplest fears, heights, clowns, and the dark. And he knows hers — spiders and ghosts— since they established their fears long ago. So, Betty expects him to say one of the three, just to take the easy way out, but he doesn't.

"Uh, I'm not really sure. My greatest fear, eh?" He ponders, rubbing his fingers against his inexistent stubble. "For starters, I'm afraid this terrible Halloween party will never end."

The actual party itself isn't so bad, Betty considers, Cheryl picked out delicious food and the DJ's got a good playlist running. What's particularly terrible for the two of them is, having to see their exes grind against other people. A month after Archie broke things off with Veronica, she started hooking up with Reggie, which they now consider a legitimate relationship. And long before Veronica and Archie's break-up, Betty decided to end things with Jughead because he desperately wanted her to be the Serpent Queen, but she didn't want to—it just wasn't her. Even if Jughead was her King. She realized, over the summer, she can't keep sacrificing little bits of herself to keep their relationship going. And so, it seems, this time, their break up will stick.

That, of course, doesn't mean Archie's not regretful of his decision, and Betty's not heartbroken. Jughead's clearly moved on with a new brunette beau who recently joined the Serpents.

So, that explains why Archie and Betty decided to hide themselves in Cheryl's bedroom, away from the others, to steal and share a bottle of wine from the Blossom's liquor closet.

"I'm a little offended you don't enjoy hanging out with me," Betty half-heartedly jokes.

"Not at all," Archie shakes his head, disregarding his glass and taking a swig from the bottle. Betty laughs at the strange gesture.

"Then, if I remember correctly," she continues, "Your main fears are heights, clowns and the dark."

"And yours being spiders and ghosts."

"Surprised you remember," Betty adds, not meaning to sound so rude.

It's been pretty obvious, to both of them, that they haven't been as close friends as they were before. Ever since they took down the faux Black Hood, ever since they kissed.

Archie cringes at the thought. He didn't like the way he handled it, if he even did. He quickly changes the subject, "So, why don't we conquer all of our fears tonight? Together."

Betty thinks, she'll have to face spiders and somehow, ghosts. Yet, she doesn't want to spoil their time. If she says no, they'll sit here, finishing this bottle of wine until one of them calls it a night. That's not exactly her idea of a thrilling experience.

"Why not?" She mutters, and she stands up. Archie gets up from the bed too, stretching out his legs and arms.

**CLOWNS**

After reaching an agreement on their plans, Betty and Archie finally go outside and socialize with a few of their friends. Most people are dressed in costume, either looking sexy, simple or gruesome. Betty came dressed in a basic angel fit, matching with Veronica who dressed as a devil. Archie's supposed to be a greaser. An unintentional outfit coordination with Jughead, who of course put little to no effort, and wore his casual Serpent outfit. Cheryl didn't care to hide her scorn when he walked through the door.

Betty walks around the house, looking for anyone dressed in a clown outfit. She has complete control over Archie's actions tonight, the downside being he has control over her.

Archie wanders aimlessly, pretending to join Betty's search for clowns but he stays mostly at the drinks. He's pouring himself a cup of water when she meets him, a clown on her side.

He nearly gags in his mouth, but for the respect of the girl's feelings, he hides it.

"Archie, I'd like you to meet Jenny. Jenny, this is Archie."

Jenny, wearing a costume more on the sexier scale, reaches for his hand. Archie really tries, he really does, to be kind and shake it. But he's entrapped with her irregularly shaped smile and arched brows freaking him out. It may be make-up, but right now he truly wants to piss his pants.

"Uh… Sorry, he's a little shy. Arch, can I talk to you for a second?"

He swallows, a bit relieved yet at the same time, aware Betty's going to lecture him. They leave Jenny standing patiently at the drinks.

"Wow. I can't believe you're that afraid," She snickers, teasing him. "Just give her a chance. You're single, and I'm almost sure she's really pretty."

"Really, Betty? How could you tell, honestly, she looks like Pennywise! I-I can't do it," He whispers, his voice rising occassionally.

"C'mon, Arch. You can last one song with her. Please?"

"Damnit, Betty," Archie sighs, agreeing to her pouty face.

She develops a huge smile, slightly pushing him in Jenny's direction as she watches from afar. Archie has to admit, it's weird for Betty to be setting him up with someone, even if it's for fun.

Archie takes a long blink just before he reaches the clown. "Hey, I'm Archie. I'm guessing you don't go to Riverdale High?" He quickly asks, looking everywhere except her eyes.

"Nope. Southside," She replies. Considering Archie's history with the Serpents, he's guessing this won't last. And a bunch of other reasons, too.

Kindly, Archie invites her to dance, and Jenny gladly takes upon his request. He's twirling her playfully, when he catches Betty's eyes from not far away. She's gleaming, emphatically throwing a fist pump in the air for him. Archie laughs, and then he continues to dance, trying his best not to be creeped out, not to look Jenny in the eyes.

The music transitions from upbeat to a slower song, taking Archie by surprise. Perfect by Ed Sheeran starts to play, everybody clamming together and finding a partner. Technically, his one song is up. He could go and hang out with Betty again, but he'd feel rude to leave Jenny alone.

"So, Jenny, would you like to dance?"

Jenny smiles. Her lips curving again, in a creepy manner, sending chills down Archie's back. "I don't think so, Archie. I'm gonna head to the bathroom. Thanks for a good time!"

Although puzzled, Archie watches as she leaves with a smile. He bids her farewell, and he quickly scurries to Betty.

"I did it, Betty. I danced with a clown."

Betty offers her palm out for a high five. She giggles as Archie frees himself of that image of Jenny the Clown, stuck in his mind and possibly his dreams tonight.

"Don't get me wrong, I still hate clowns," Archie starts, "But thank you."

Shortly, Betty grimaces. "I got pictures for keepsake."

"Great," Archie responds sarcastically. "Anyway, I asked Jenny to dance with me, and she completely dipped."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. So… thanks for setting me up with a flakey partner," says Archie. "I guess there's only one way to make up for it."

Betty scrunches her eyebrows. "And that is?"

"Dance with me, Betty," Archie grabs her hand, holding it tightly in his. He eventually wraps his arms around her waist, her arms around his neck.

Betty lets out a bright laugh, her beautiful smile matching with. Archie reciprocates a grin.

"I can't believe Cheryl let the music guy play a sappy slow song," He mentions, moving a bit closer to Betty's body.

"It's unheard of. But," She pauses, and looks around to find the sassy redhead, dancing with Toni. "I'm guessing it has to do with her Serpent girlfriend. They're cute."

Archie frowns at the mention of the word serpent, but he's sure Betty only said it innocently. They continue dancing, Betty looking past him, giving Archie the chance to observe her. Perhaps he looked at her longer than needed, perhaps he imagined someone else was watching _them _dance, thinking _they _were cute.

The song comes to an end, and they awkwardly let go of one another. Now, it's Archie's turn to torment Betty, in the kindest way possible.

**SPIDERS**

Archie takes Betty to Sweetwater River. The millions of times he's been there, he's seen all sorts of waterbugs, pests and a particular kind of spider. He remembers a young Betty sprinting away from their picnic, joined by their mothers, just cause she saw a spider on the blanket. Archie's just excited to potentially relive the whole experience, or at least the innocence it provoked.

Luckily, he didn't have to force her to leave the party, which was dead as soon as they walked in anyway.

Betty shakes her legs apprehensively. Like his fear for clowns, Betty absolutely hates spiders and their freaky shape and intellect. She's aware they can do no harm, but looking at them? Coexisting? Not exactly an idea Betty's fond of.

"Arch, please do not make me eat a spider," begs Betty as they reach their destination.

Archie gleefully laughs, ignoring her request and opening the door for her to follow.

"You know, its been awhile since I've visited this place," Archie admits, thinking back to Jason's murder, cringeful memories of Miss Grundy, and Cheryl's almost suicide. Yeah, that's exactly why he hasn't been here in months.

Betty approaches him, picking a rock from the floor and attempting to skip it. Yet, the current of the water sinks the rock right away. She looks to Archie, who's looking wistfully in the distance, and says, "All I could think about is–"

"I know," He interrupts. He wishes Betty didn't have to share this impure pain and trauma he was also feeling, especially since he's aware how impactful it's been on his own health. He could only imagine how she would cope. "Sweetwater River, Pop's, Pickens Park. What's next, our own home?"

"Arch…"

"Actually, Betts. We came here to deal with your irrational fear of spiders. I don't want to think about anything else right now. Sorry to bring it up."

Putting her hand on his shoulder, Betty grins, and says nothing to go against him. She waits patiently for Archie to tell her exactly what he expects of her.

He wanders around, probably looking for a friendly little bug on the ground. Archie's eyes glow in the light of the moon, and he returns with a black fuzz in his hands. And, as expected, Betty shrieks as she makes out the shape of a spider. Her hands find her cheeks, which are now burning, and she's slowly drifting from him. Archie cracks up in her face, moving his hand away out of pity.

"Okay, Betty, if you could just look at this spider, for a single minute, I'll call it a pass," Archie explains. "Don't even have to touch it."

She glares at him deeply like he's told her a sin. Betty nods, shyly, leaning closer to his palm.

"All I have to do is look?" She asks, again.

"Yeah, and stay still. If this little creature, which we'll name Peter Parker for the hell of it, crawls around, you can't move. Even if he's moving close to your face."

"Archie–"

Archie shushes her. "Your minute starts now."

Betty reluctantly scoots even closer to his hand, her nose now touching his pinky. Her consistent breathing tickles his finger a bit, but he's too focused on counting to sixty to care.

He's at second 39 when he feels the spider begin to crawl, and plus, he hears Betty begin panicking.

"Speed it up, Arch," She whales, closing her eyes for a good five seconds until she opens them again. "Peter is coming right at me!"

"Okay, Betty, suck it up. 56, 57, 58, 59 and 60," Archie watches as Betty quickly scrambles, jogging a good distance away from him. She pants and lets out breathes of relief.

She's just about to finishing calming down, when Archie suggests he takes a picture of Betty with the spider.

"It's only fair," says Archie, reminding Betty of the photos she took of him.

"Ugh, fine," She agrees, quickly practicing her pose.

Archie takes his phone out, changing it to the video setting before she could notice. He tells her to place her hand under his to manipulate the picture, but when he counts down from three to give her a head count, he starts the video, and then he drops the spider into Betty's palms.

The last thing Archie really recalls is her loud, shrill voice echoing in the open air space, and his laugh following just moments after. She launches Peter Parker behind her, probably to his own death as she jumps in disgust. Her face is angry and disgusted, yet relieved at the same time. She quickly shoves Archie in his shoulder, pissed but playful.

"Damn you, Arch," Betty scoffs. She storms to his truck and waits outside the passenger door until Archie unlocks in.

"C'mon. Let's stay here for a moment. The spiders are far too busy planning Peter's funeral, anyway," He jokes around, softening Betty up, easy as margarine.

"Well, we didn't exactly come prepared."

Archie shrugs. "Let's go for a swim."

He takes off his leather jacket, the white shirt underneath it, and his jeans, and then walks into the shallow water. Archie dips his head in to get completely wet, and then he sits on a huge rock, waiting for her to join him.

She truly doesn't feel dread, come to think of it.

She takes off her angel wings costume, and dips in the cold water with him. She's a bit shy to be so exposed in just her underwear, and Archie's strong gaze has got her thinking the worst. He looked dashing in the moonlight. Betty splashes him, to help cover her lack of confidence, and he laughs, then sends a ripple of water right back.

**HEIGHTS**

Minutes after their time swimming in the river, Betty remembers it's her turn again. Heights and the dark, his last two remaining fears. She quickly runs back to shore, trying to air dry herself but failing as cold air touches against her skin.

Archie follows her curiously. He wipes the water away from his face, his mouth left in a smirk. "You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"No, just—follow me," Betty picks up her folded clothes and starts running into the forest, leaving Archie dumbfounded.

"Don't you want to get dress—"

"Let's go!"

And he follows her commands. Soon, tree after tree pass by, and Archie's a bit concerned that they're in danger. He starts wondering that maybe there was a bear or animal and that's why Betty began to run, but the thought ends shortly, as soon as he realizes where she took him.

Stairs to the road where the two lands are connected, or more frequently known as a bridge. Archie groans, he almost forgot.

"Arch, how's this bridge?" Betty asks, genuinely.

By the looks of it, at least from the outer perimeter of the river, the bridge couldn't be that high up. He shrugs anyway, and Betty drags him up the stairs.

Immediately, Betty nears the side of the bridge, and she looks off the edge courageously. Archie reluctantly joins her, and now his palms start to sweat out of nervosity. _Wow_, he thinks to himself, _that's quite a height_.

Betty seems to catch onto his increased heart rate and sweaty palms because she takes his hand to comfort him. She smiles, her eyes waiting until Archie looks better, until he looks ready.

Archie appreciates the gesture, but he's primarily focused on the distance from where he's standing, and the water running below him. He pitched in this idea. Either Betty expects him to jump, or to terrorize himself just standing over the ledge.

"You know, I hate heights too, Arch," Betty interjects, squeezing his hand. "And drowning, and deep water, but it's only like 20 feet and the current's not strong here."

"So you're saying I should jump?"

Betty shakes her head. "_We_ should. I'll jump with you, if it makes you feel any better."

At that point, Archie feels pathetic. Sure, he's not strutting his masculinity all the time like most developing teenage boys, but if Betty's down to jump, he feels like he should be braver around her. Maybe with Ronnie, he'd feel the need to fake it, to suck it up and be a man. Yet, he doesn't mind feeling vulnerable around Betty. She doesn't demand much from him, other than to be himself.

"Okay, I'm ready. You?" Archie asks, his voice getting a bit high.

She nods, turning her face towards the river. One hand of hers is wrapped around the side of the bridge, the other tangled in Archie's. They leave their clothes on the side of the bridge. Then, taking a deep breathe, Betty jumps first, bringing Archie with her. Sometime in the air, one of them must've let go, since they each land separately. Having gone first, and weighing less, Betty rises to the surface before Archie, her entire body soaked again. She smiles as soon as she sees a redhead pop up from the water.

Betty's smile soon fades, and she starts screaming. Instead of Archie, she sees Jason Blossom's corpse, a gunshot wound right in the middle of his frontal region. She starts to doggie paddle away, nearly sinking until Archie stops her.

"Hey! Betty, it's okay! It's me, I'm here," He swims right in front of her, holding her close and calming her down.

She stares blankly at him, unsure of what just happened. Betty recollects herself, despite her heart still beating a mile a minute, she calms down mentally. She didn't mean to make what was supposed to be a fun night so horrific.

Archie guides her to the rocks again, and they head back to the top of the bridge to grab their clothing.

"Is everything okay? I'm so sorry if I scared you, Betty."

Betty shakes her head, her cheeks flushed out of embarrassment. "I-I just thought I saw Jason Blossom. I must be hallucinating."

"No, I get it. It's because we're _here_. Hasn't been the same, I shouldn't have taken you here," Archie agrees. He pulls Betty in a quick embrace again, to provide both comfort and warmth. "We should go back to Cheryl's."

They both fetch Archie's truck, leaving Sweetwater River behind.

**DARK**

"I know… circumstances might have been odd, but thank you for taking me out, Arch," Betty says, a bit shyly. He smiles and nods. "So, did you like the jump? The exciting and feeling of losing your stomach?"

With a laugh, Archie scoffs. "I adore your effort Betty. But I think I lost one of my nipples. It was a _hard _fall."

Betty tosses her head back in laughter, the side of her eyes crinkling as well. Archie grins, seeing her happy makes him happy, especially since the beginning of the night, they were both miserable.

"You know, though, I couldn't think straight after jumping, because I saw you nearly drown. One of my greatest fears is losing someone I care for, and… that's just not something I could imagine," Archie suddenly shifts to a deep tone. Betty's still alive, but after everything, his relationship with Veronica, it's just as though he lost her.

"You can't live without me, huh," Betty teases, causing Archie to roll his eyes.

"Forget I said anything," He groans, kiddingly.

Betty whines, defeated. "Fine, it's just so fun to tease! Of course, I would miss you too, Arch. And your music, your red hair, and girly laugh."

She ruffles his hair with her hand, earning a dubious look from him as he drives. "Better?"

"I swear, Betts, I _will _happily turn around and retrieve that spider."

"And I will happily kill you," She replies, smiling, but aggressively.

He misses this. He missed spending time with Betty, and seeing her act so comfortably around him again just sparks butterflies in his stomach. It makes him question why they should even go back to the damned party, if they already ruined their costumes. Betty tells him it's out of respect to Cheryl, but mostly Veronica, whom she promised to take care of tonight. Before she had left with Archie, Betty didn't seem all too concerned because she saw Veronica sprung up with Reggie.

Archie drives in the front of Thistlehouse, turning off the engine as soon as he parks. Betty and him sit there dreading the moment they have to go back into that shithole of a Halloween celebration.

"Hey, Betts?" Archie calls for her attention, and she quickly looks him in the eyes. "I'm not gonna try and scare you, with the ghosts and all. I think imagining Jason was enough."

"Oh, well, thank you," She grimaces bittersweetly. Betty opens the passenger door, "I'm just going to check on V, I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay. Tell her… uh, nevermind," He stifles a laugh, but Betty's too far to pick up.

With her hair still soaked from the river, and clothes a bit damp, Betty paces into Cheryl's place without giving a damn how she looked. Her prime reason of going back is to find Veronica. But, when the doors open, everybody silences and just looks at her. Cheryl immediately stands to call her out, leaving Toni alone on the couch.

"So, you think you can just waltz back into an utterly fantastic Halloween kickback, which you ditched, for a spontaneous rendezvous with Archie?" Cheryl crosses her arms powerfully.

"A what?" Is all Betty musters as an answer, though she's got a lot more questions. First being, how the hell did she even know?

"I'm just here for V, Cheryl. I couldn't care less for your party, which I'm sure is just oozing in excitement," Betty sassily claps back, referring to the newfound lack of guests and dead conversation.

Cheryl rolls her eyes and struts away, then Betty closes the door and follows her to the main room. Instantly, she sees Veronica cuddled in Reggie's chest, probably drunk off tequila.

Betty approaches them both, moving around their flimsy limbs, soon realizing they've both fallen asleep. She groans, unsure of whether to wake her or not, but someone else makes the decision for her.

As he usually does. "I've already tried waking her a dozen of times. I suggest you let Princess Aurora get her beauty sleep."

Betty straightens her posture, startled just hearing Jughead's familiar voice. She hasn't spoken in him in a good while, like a legitimate exchange of words other than _hello,_ so this comes as a shock.

She could feel her heart breaking again just looking at him. Betty really loved him, and although she's moved on, she can't help but feel a flicker of pain. "Oh, well. Keep an eye out on her, will you?"

"Sure thing. I never, uh, I never introduced you to Paula. Paula, this is Betty. Betty, Paula."

The brunette throws her hand for a shake, and Betty eagerly takes it to hide her actual reluctance. "Good to finally meet you. I _love_ your eyes!"

"Thank you. You're so.. beautiful, Jughead is a very lucky guy," Betty's voice croaks. She tries to attempt a smile, but her lips remain in a straight line. "I was just heading home so… uh, it was a real pleasure meeting you."

Betty does her best not to run out the door, and she doesn't, but instead her feet scramble like she's forgotten how to walk. Her clumsiness takes over, and she curses under her breathe a few times. She swears she hears people chuckling, causing her to become even more humiliated. Betty quickly turns around to stop her paranoia, then she accidentally bumps into an unseen Archie.

"Oh, hey," He puts his hands on her shoulders. She's clearly still shaken. "You okay?"

"Yeah, can you just take me home?"

"Of course. Let's get out of here," He smiles, putting his arm around her shoulder, guiding her out the door.

"Wait!" Cheryl shouts from afar. "It'd be rude just to go on such short notice, I have a ouija board upstairs."

"No, I don't think…"

Cheryl stops Betty mid sentence, "Oh, c'mon Betty, don't be such a killjoy! Or is it because Jughead's here with his new beau? Which, then I could understand." She pouts falsely, pretending to be sympathetic, though she oozes none.

"It's okay, Betty, you don't need to justify yourself to Cheryl," Archie glares into the other redhead's eyes.

Betty swallows. "She's right, there's no reason I wouldn't want to stay."

So, she walks back into Cheryl's living room, Archie and Jughead follow. Cheryl snickers as she fetches the supernatural board game.

Veronica seems to be awake now, same with Reggie. _Great,_ Betty thinks, she got Archie caught up in hell too. At least they're still a little out of it, Veronica looks like a mess which is rare.

Cheryl's presence is made known as soon as she shuts the lights, and the group spots a candle flickering, held by a redhead with an evilish grin. Toni pops up to give her a hand.

She lays out the game board on the table, and everyone swarms in a circle around it. Betty's freaked the hell out. She absolutely hates ghosts, with all her heart, so if some spirit comes and does something spooky tonight, she won't have it.

It doesn't truly help she's hanging by her ex boyfriend and his new girlfriend, either. When they find their seats, Betty squeezes herself the seat to the right of Archie, but as though he's taunting her, Jughead fills the other empty chair. Chills roll down her back, her stomach digging an empty pit.

Archie doesn't seem to joyful about it either. Betty can make out his face in the candlelight, and he's visibly looking at Reggie and Veronica. Again, Betty feels bad she selfishly put him in this position.

"Alright, everyone hold hands," Cheryl demands. "We're calling upon the ghost of Jason."

Everyone starts to question why Jason, whispering to each other and discussing how unhealthy this is for Cheryl. She silences them with a single hush, then Betty grabs Archie and Jughead's hands. The ladder, more reluctantly.

Betty's pretty sure the group doesn't actually have to touch hands to summon a demon, and that Cheryl's only doing this to torture her.

Quietly, Archie whispers to Betty, "You sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah, it's whatever," She replies. "And you?"

He squeezes her hand so naturally, like he's done it millions of times before, as an answer. His thumb is just starting to graze her fingers when Cheryl makes them drop hands.

They all collectively put their index and middle finger on the game piece, starting at logo of the game. Cheryl asks the first question, "Ghostie, can you hear us?"

The planchette starts moving in the YES direction, and Betty suddenly needs to clear her bladder. She nervously taps her free fingers on the glass, and then Toni asks a question.

"Are you dangerous to us?" Their fingers are taken to the letter _A. _

Reggie starts to lose patience. "What the fuck does A mean?"

Not seconds later, their fingers move to the _R, _then the _C, H, I _and _E. _The group realizes, the letters spell out _ARCHIE._

Betty feels him shift worriedly in his seat, and Reggie just chuckles under his breath. "You're only dangerous to Archie? Sweet."

That comment earns him a nudge from Veronica, who's visibly drunk but still consciously placing her index finger on the gamepiece.

Then, Cheryl asks another question, one that's seem to clearly have been on her mind since her brother's death. "Jason, do-do you miss me?"

For a moment, nothing happens. Archie feels second hand embarrassment, and Toni visibly frowns in the candlelight. Someone takes the initiative to move the planchette to _yes_ themselves, calming down everybody else. Maybe someone has been forcing the answers the entire time.

Cheryl grins, and her a teardrop falls from her eyes. She's comforted by Toni, and her fingers leave the gamepiece stranded. Everyone else sit there patiently, unsure of what to ask.

"Just so you know... Polly and the twins- they're doing fine," Betty adds, although she knows it's all a scam.

Cheryl nearly gags, "You're _supposed_ to ask a question. A little slow today? Still thinking of your hook up with Little Debbie's brother are you?"

Irritated, from the stupidity of the board and the cruelty of her insinuations, Archie interjects, "_Cheryl_–"

"We did not hook up!" Betty exclaims, and she shifts away from the oujia board. Archie watches her as the group goes silent, noticing Jughead place his hand on hers out of comfort.

Instantly, Archie moves forward and whispers to Betty, "Do you want me to take you home?"

"Yea, that'd be nice, Arch," She smiles softly, not even paying attention to Jughead's touch as she warms up to Archie's eyes. "V… are you okay if I leave?"

"Yeah! I'll take care. Just… have fun," Veronica says, and Betty could tell, she was being genuine.

Not caring that they left the conversation on a dry note, Betty and Archie make there way into the car. Betty quickly rushes to the driver's seat. No way Archie could drive with the amount of drinks he's taken.

"I'm fine, Betts, I think we both know _you're _the lightweight," Archie smirks playfully.

"You drank twice as much, Arch."

"But, I drove home safely from Sweetwater River."

"Archis. I saw you sneak in a drink just earlier."

He surrenders and tosses her the keys.

"Yeah…" He continues, his smile fading. They both sit inside the vehicle, it's silent before he talks. "How are you holding up?"

Betty shrugs, starting the ignition. Her eyes refused to meet his. "I'm doing just fine. I only drank like—"

"_Betty. _I mean, about.. Jughead. Do you miss him?"

_He doesn't want to hear it. But he has to. _For some reason, he can't find it in him to look at her. He feels ashamed.

"I-Of course I miss him, Arch. But I don't want to think about that part of my life anymore," She moves to her side, reaching for his forearm. "And can I be honest? Earlier, when he touched my hand, I didn't feel anything. No spark. Nothing."

With her hand wrapped around his, in even the most innocent way, Archie could say-he felt the exact opposite.

"I know what you mean. I think of Ronnie the same, well, it only bothers me that she's with Reggie. Just because it's Reggie. But I don't love her, I don't think I ever loved her like…"

Archie stops himself, he's been so caught up in rambling he didn't even realize how much closer he's moved. Betty senses the sudden tension, but can't find it in herself to move away.

"Like?"

"Uh, it's hard to explain," His eyes drift down to her lips, despite his desperate thoughts telling him not to stop.

Betty moves away, reaching for her seatbelt, the motion sends him back to the night the Black Hood terrorized them. She had just kissed him, which she clearly regretted, and Archie hated himself for hurting her again. For putting her in that position, when he knows he could never deserve her. But that kiss! It left him wishing to feel the pressure of her warm lips against his, to not have to be guilty, to finally be selfish. And, what's worse, is all this just comes flooding back in the one night they spend time together again. And Archie hates himself for it.

On the drive home, it's mostly silent. The radio, turned down, softly plays _Best Friend _by Rex Orange County. Archie mentally punches himself, when did Betty grow out of listening to Taylor Swift on repeat?

"I-I didn't know you liked Rex Orange County," Archie comments. "I've still got this idea of you obsessing over Taylor Swift and being secretly into One Direction."

"Well, you're not wrong. I still am," She grins. "Don't feel bad. It's been months since I heard you perform a song."

"It's been months since I've written," He frowns, "but I might just start again."

"And I wanna be the first one to listen!" Betty says encouragingly, and suddenly a loose statement became Archie's goal for the day. He wanted to have her around again.

"Of course."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Betty parks at Archie's driveway, both of them dreading the fact the night is coming to an end. They part ways at the sidewalk, walking slowly as they grimace at one another.

"Hey, Betty," Archie shouts from his porch to hers. "Just wanted to say thanks. I had a lot of fun tonight."

"Me too," She nods, stepping into the doorway, blocked from Archie's view. She's hunting in her bag for her keys, when she comes up with an idea. She doesn't hear anything but crickets.

"Archie…" speaks Betty, in a soft but clear voice. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah," He replies, "What's up?"

"Are you still afraid of the dark?"

Betty can make out his quiet snicker. He says, "I'd be pissing my pants right now, if you weren't out here."

She realizes he's being a gentleman waiting for her to get inside safely.

"Come over, my mom's not home. And we can finish our little game." And so he does, eagerly.

Betty's still unsure of what to do exactly when her and Archie enter the house, but she wanted to finish their night, and mostly, she wasn't ready to say goodbye just yet.

"Okay… why don't you go inside my closet, and I'll leave you in there for like 30 seconds?" Betty suggests, then mocks, "is that _scary _enough?"

"Haha, very funny," the redhead rolls his eyes. He enters a small tight space inside her closet, smiling confidently before shutting the door.

It's about two seconds in when he comes out. "I'm terrified, can you come inside… _please?_ I'll be even longer–five minutes," He pleads. Betty only takes a moment before agreeing.

She frowns, hardly making out the limited room she would fit in, but she thinks it's only fair she comforts him-even though his fear may be silly. She shuts all the lights in the room, so no reflection or spark seeps through the cracks.

"Didn't know you'd be such a wuss, Arch," Betty giggles, nudging him somewhere on his body. Realization struck and she just _wishes _it was an appropriate place. Even though she somewhat enjoyed the warmth of both their bodies, and how suddenly intimate the atmosphere became. Betty's face instantly reddens, but luckily, she cannot be seen in the darkness.

Archie finally replies, "Says the one who freaked over a spider. Should I pull up the video?"

"Fine, fine. We're both equally pathetic."

"Which reminds me!" Archie pulls out his phone from his pocket, his arm slightly brushing against Betty's thigh. She suddenly feels a quick flutter, her cheeks visible to Archie as his phone screen lights up.

Luckily, he doesn't seem to notice. He's already taking a selfie when she looks up, catching an unflattering picture of Betty. She shrieks and instantly takes his phone, almost deleting it before dramatically shouting again.

"Archie… oh my god, what's that behind your head?!" She tosses the phone at him, he quickly dodges and yells terrified. Betty erupts in obnoxious laughter, Archie still recovering, his body still trembling.

At one point, Archie stops shaking, the light of the phone lying on the ground, shining a light on both their faces. Betty still continues to laugh, until Archie says, "You know…"

And, immediately, she halts her chuckles, afraid that she went too far and the angry Archie who hardly ever appeared was going to explode.

"This reminds me of the night… I kissed Veronica," He whispers, regret evident in his voice. His eyes are stuck on Betty's blue ones.

_Shit, _she realizes, the entire atmosphere around them has just shifted. Betty cannot tell if he's going to start whimpering, or begin confessing. The ladder keeps her from leaving the closet and calling it a night.

She replies, "Oh, yeah. That was _one _night."

He sighs. "It could've been you, this entire time."

Betty stays silent, unsure of what to say. Since that night, Archie has been finished business, she told him everything she felt. Not that she loved him, but one could assume. The ball is and would have always be in his court, if her heart allowed that.

"Arch…"

"I-I know, I-I guess I just wanted to say it aloud. If I had gotten my shit together, then it would be _us,_" Archie hesitates, thinking cautiously. He moves closer, yet still obviously clammed up, "I don't doubt we'd still be in love."

Betty stiffens, again, left speechless. She thinks back to how just minutes ago, they both were laughing and joking around. Then, she remembers,

_Archie had a few drinks, he must be too tipsy to think straight_.

"Wait, how much did you drink?" She moves her the back of her hand against his forehead, trying her best to change the subject without feeling tingles upon feeling his warm skin. "W-We should–"

"_Betty_," He takes her palm, and puts it against his cheek instead. "The only thing the alcohol is responsible for is giving me courage. Otherwise, I'm serious."

Despite her racing heart, she senses her own relief. "Well, then, you're not wrong. I would've loved you no matter what."

Archie frowns. _Loved. _She doesn't love him anymore. He got this far, just about to tell her how he really feels, and how he felt for the past year. But, what gives? Betty doesn't love him. He doesn't deserve her.

Suddenly, Betty rubs her thumb against his cheekbone. "What's the matter?"

"I love you," Archie confesses. He feels like a joke when she backs off, retreating her hand back to her side.

"Okay, you're really out of it, Arch," She halfheartedly laughs under her breathe, instantly leaving the closet, walking into her dark bedroom.

Panicking, Archie quickly follows her, and when he teachers her, he takes her hand. He admits, "I know I'm stupid, I'm undeserving and I'm the idiot who couldn't come to terms with it any sooner. But, you need to hear it, regardless of what happens, I know that I want you. Betty, I love you.. and I think we're… endgame."

The room stays silent for a moment. When a few seconds pass, nothing is said, Archie loosens his grip on Betty's hand. Disappointment settles in, and he wants to crumble on the spot. Ready to let go, he realizes how stupid he was to put her in this position again.

And then she turns her head, in even the slightest angle, tears running down her face, but with a bittersweet smile. Unreadable, for once.

She closes the small gap between their fingers, tightening her grasp. Then, with her free hand, she caresses his face, leans forward and gives him a kiss, full of sweet, patient desire. Archie's a bit slow catching on, but before she could move away, he pulls her body to his again, opening his mouth for her tongue. She pushes him into her mattress, then finally presses pause, as she sits on top of his abdomen.

"Wait… wait, this is for real, we're not gonna _not _talk about it for months again are we?" asks a panting Betty.

"This is it," Archie smiles, graciously, but he knows she can't see his glowing face.

"In that case… do you want me to turn the lights on?" She asks, "I know how the dark makes you feel."

"_Shut up,_" He barks back, catching her body and switching positions so he was on top, and she was laid against the bed. He kisses her lovingly, whispering, "I love you so much."

Betty's lips form a smile as they make out, and between kisses she says, "Don't-ever.. say… _endgame.. _again."

Archie pops his head up. "I had to look it up, but then I thought it was romantic."

"It yells Veronica," Betty glares. "I love V, but she's cringey sometimes."

"Why are we still taking about Ronnie..." Impatiently, Archie plants kisses down Betty's neck, feeling himself harden as she moans his name.

"I love you too, Arch," Betty shares, breathlessly, "if it wasn't already obvious."


End file.
